


Not All Monsters

by Rioghna



Series: 7 Days, 7 Prompts [6]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Daddy's Little Girl'verse, F/M, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-28
Updated: 2015-03-27
Packaged: 2018-03-15 16:04:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3453383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rioghna/pseuds/Rioghna
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Day Six of my Seven Days, Seven Prompts.  BardicRaven Prompted:  Daddy's Little Girl !verse, not all Monsters.</p><p>There were a whole lot of places I could go with this and I might go to some of them later, but for now...Rose and Princess Emma have a little adventure.  Not as fluffy as this universe is usually.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Not all Monsters...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not all monsters have scales and claws...

 

 

 

 

 

"Come on," the blond girl urged her friend, as she peered around the corner. "It will take them forever to figure it out, and we'll be back by then." The other girl nodded keeping watch the other way. It wasn't often Rose got to visit her friend, Emma, Princess of one of the largest kingdoms in the Enchanted Forest. But as her father was needed for...something to do with grownups, Mama had decided that they would all go.

Especially now that Bae, much to their father's distress, had decided to train as a knight. "Just in case, Papa," he'd said when he told him. It had been very hard on her Papa and Rose had left him alone until after he was finished breaking things, and then repairing them. But it did meant that they went to visit Queen Snow and King Charming more often, just to see her big brother. Though not this time, this time it was other things.

It also meant that she got to spend time with Emma, who knew the best games. Right now though, they were trying to sneak out of the Castle. They were both sick of sitting with Emma's new governess. She wasn't nearly as nice as the old one, and she kept telling them to 'act like the ladies you are going to become one day'. Besides, she didn't like Rose, though she tried hard to pretend otherwise. They could both tell, just the way she was always correcting Rose, even though Emma did things much worse, like sitting sideways in the chair and holding her fork wrong.

So they had made a plan to escape. They told Allison they were going to the Royal library, not an uncommon destination for the two girls, both known for their love of a good story. Now they had managed to get through the kitchens and they made their way to the back gate, hiding on the far side of a wagon as it passed the guard and out to freedom.

As they heard the gate close behind the wagon and them, they skipped off into the city, cloaks pulled tight and hoods down.

"Where do you want to start?" Emma asked. Part of the reason for escaping had been that it was Market Day in the Capitol and that meant food, games, entertainment, and all manner of things. "I want to get some of those candies, and maybe some buns from the baker, and then look at something for my mama, her birthday is coming."

"How many coins did you bring?" Rose said, feeling her own pouch hanging on her belt very close to her.

"Enough I think," she said, and the two girls huddled together for a moment to check their resources and plan.

"I'd like to look for any interesting books and maybe something for Bae, if I have enough."

"My mama is having another baby," Emma said as they wandered down the street checking out the stalls on either side as they passed.

"That's good," Rose replied, not really certain what to say. Her friend at home, Lily, had a new baby brother and she didn't like it much, but he cried a lot and her mother was tired all the time, so maybe that had more to do with it.

"I guess, I'm not really sure about it yet. But maybe she'll want to be a Princess and I won't have to."

Rose nodded thoughtfully. She knew Emma wanted to be a knight when she grew up, and not a stupid Princess like Alexandra, who was two years older than Emma and thought she knew everything. Last time she had been over, she'd insulted Rose and Emma decided that she needed to be her friend's champion and challenge her to a duel. Personally Rose was planning to grow up to be a great sorcerer like her Papa. "I think you have to wait and see," Rose said after a moment. "Maybe she'll be fun to play with?"

"Yeah, I suppose, I just hope it's nothing gross like a boy. That would be the worst."

"Bae's a boy, and he's okay, I mean for a big brother," Rose reminded her.

"Yeah, but he's big. I think they get better after a while."

Rose thought about this for a moment and then nodded in agreement. After all, that had been her experience, of course she hadn't been around when Bae was little, he'd always been a lot older than her, but he was fun.

 

They looked around the market for a while, not having any luck with books or presents, at least not ones that they could afford. They had gotten buns, and some cider, and a small bag of candies to share before they decided that perhaps it was time to sneak back into the castle. "It'll be easier and faster if we get out of the Market crowd," Rose reminded her.

Emma agreed and led her down a side street on the far side of the town square. "My daddy says I have to know all the streets, for tactics and stuff," she told her. They were getting close to the edge of the city and near to one of the smaller entrances to the castle when they saw a group of boys a little older than they were gathered around something on the ground.

"Caught 'er easy as easy. She got me once. I'll make 'er pay for that," the largest boy said proudly.

"Try this," another said, handing him a stick. "Maybe you can get it in the eye."

The girls came closer, drawn by curiosity. They heard a yowl coming from what looked like an open basket. "What are you doing?" Emma asked loudly. The boys jumped and they could see there was a cat in the basket, a large one.

"Just caught us an old cat. What's it to you?"

"You shouldn't mess with cats, they kill the rats that bring disease and the mice that get into the food," Rose informed him. Her mother had taught her that. "Besides, it's bad luck." That part was from her father.

"That's stupid. Besides, it's none of your business. Why don't you go play with your dolls or something," one of them sneered at her.

"I don't play with dolls, and you'd better leave that cat alone," Emma told him, looking him straight in the eye.

"Or what?" the big one said, turning back to them.

"Or we're gonna make you, that's what," Emma said confidently.

Rose wasn't so very certain of that, but she would back Emma up, that's what friends did. She wished that she'd been better prepared though. "Emma, maybe you'd better tell them who you are," she said quietly to her friend. "It's capitol offensive to attack a princess. Besides, if we beat them up, our parents are going to know we snuck off, if they don't know already."

"Just the two of you?" sneered the boy again, clearly the leader of the pack. One or two of the others didn't look like they were so sure about getting into a fight over a cat. For a moment, Rose thought about calling for her Papa, but that wouldn't be fair, since he was doing important things.

"Or you could let the cat go and we can go on our way. Better yet, you can give us the cat. You can't just go around hurting animals, and we can't trust you not to hurt it."

"I have a better idea," he said taking in their nice cloaks and their manner. "You can give us your cloaks and whatever else you've got on you, and we'll let you leave. Maybe..." Some of the other boys were coming up to surround them.

"Are you sure..." one of them piped up, clearly reluctant to move from animals to threatening people.

"Shut it, Shorty. What are they going to do?"

"But Benny..."

"I said shut it," the boy called Benny growled.

"I guess I'll just start with you," Emma said, pushing back her hood. "What kind of monster picks on a helpless animal?"

"'Cause I want to, that's a good enough reason. It shouldn't be here. Besides, it's just a stupid cat. When I'm done with you, I'm going to make you watch while we light that basket on fire and watch it burn, then you'll learn about messing in things that aren't your business. Maybe we'll just light you too, just your hair or something. You can remember to keep your nose out of things that don't concern you." Some of the other boys were hanging on his words, but the one called Shorty started to back away slowly.

"Everything is my concern."

"It is," Rose agreed. "'Cause she's the Princess."

"Well, 'Princess' I guess it's time you learned a thing or two, like not to mess with things."

The boys started to move in on the two girls. Rose knew that she and Emma were at a disadvantage. While Emma knew the streets from the map, these boys clearly lived here, and they knew things that weren't on the maps. Besides, the street they were in was small and quiet, probably everyone was away at the market. Still, it looked like Emma was not going to back down. Rose backed up carefully and wondered if she could do something with her magic.

Emma pushed her cloak back over her shoulders to give herself more freedom of movement, and reached in her pouch for the small rocks she kept for using her sling (her mother said she wasn't big enough for a bow like she used). "You'd better watch it. I'm giving you one last chance," she said to them. One of the boys reached out to grab her, but Emma let fly with the pebble and struck him in the arm.

"Ouch, little bitch," the boy growled. Emma threw another one. She wasn't nearly as accurate without her sling, but she wasn't going to let them get away with it.

Rose found a stick. She wasn't much of a fighter really, though she had been in a fight with one of the boys in the village last year after he called her a lizard girl. Still, she wasn't about to let her best friend down. But before she could raise it, one of the boys got around her and grabbed her cloak. The hood fell aback revealing her pile of chestnut hair, her blue eyes, and her faintly glowing gold scales. Rose brought the stick across his knuckles and he fell back, sticking the wounded fingers to his mouth and cursing in ways that she had only heard when her father accidentally blew something up, and he thought she wasn't around. But there was nothing for it now, they would either get afraid and run away, or come after her.

"Hey Benny, look what we found. I'm not sure what it is, but I bet she screams better than the cat," he said.

"Not sure about this," a blond boy on the other side of the group said. "That's not natural. Maybe she's cursed or something."

"Nah, nothing like that, besides, if she is no one'll care. Maybe there's a bounty or something," Benny said, still the leader and trying to close on Emma, who let another stone go, hitting the boy next to him.

Rose reached out, and grabbed Emma's cloak, hoping that she could just teleport them away. Unfortunately she had only ever teleported the once, and that was two years ago. Her father said she wasn't really old enough to do that yet. Still, she imagined them in the Palace and reached for her magic and...Emma's cloak disappeared in a *poof* of purple smoke.

"What the hell?" Benny said, but the shock was only momentary.

Emma caught her foot and almost fell, and the two girls discovered they'd retreated into a wall. There was no way around it, Rose knew at that moment. She was going to be in a lot of trouble, but it was better than getting either of them hurt. "Papa," she called out.

"Oh, now we are calling for our daddy are we?" the leader said as they surrounded them on three sides and closed in. Emma was out of stones, and Rose had dropped her stick in her aborted attempt at magic. "And what exactly is your papa going to do to me?"

"I think the first question you should be asking, dearie, I who her papa is," the voice trilled from behind them, a high pitched, odd sort of sing song. "Hmmmm?"


	2. Coda--What to do

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the aftermath, Charming and Rumplestiltskin must decide how to handle things.

 

 

The throne room of the palace of Queen Snow White and King David (called Charming) was far emptier than it usually was. Instead of the usual courtiers and those looking for favour or needing royal justice, there was a group of men and women, most tradespeople of some sort, most looked nervous, though at least one large red faced fellow was pacing impatiently. There was also a group of guardsmen, keeping an eye on them, and a basket full of fluffy, half grown kittens.

"All this over a just a cat," the man growled.

"Just a cat, just a cat," the Dark One tittered as he entered behind King David at the other end of the long room. "Just a cat and almost a Princess, high treason on the first go, and that's quite a special sort of crime, now isn't it?" he asked, his overlarge eyes holding more than a hint of threat. "Perhaps I shall change your boy to a rat and let him see how it feels?" The man gaped at him for a moment before clamping his mouth shut.

"Rumplestiltskin," Charming said calmly. Not that he was any less angry. He was still mostly grateful that the sorcerer hadn't done worse, though he could understand the temptation. "Perhaps we should hear the whole story first, before we decided how best to handle this." It wasn't an easy situation to deal with after all. On the one hand, the boys had threatened both his daughter, the princess, and young Rose, however, they were just children themselves. On the other, David had known his share of bullies, and those who enjoyed hurting animals. He was proud of his daughter for standing up for what was right, or he would have been if she hadn't been in danger. But that was for her mother to deal with. They had agreed, he and the sorcerer would deal with the boys, while the Queen and Belle dealt with their respective offspring.

The Dark One nodded, though he still didn't look entirely thrilled. Of course, with him it was always hard to tell. "Perhaps your Majesty would like to hear from the boy that summoned the guardsmen first?" the sorcerer suggested, his eyes glittering. "After all, no one wants a full trial, but we should establish the facts."

He looked towards the parents, huddling together, probably wondering if they were going to be taking their children home on two feet or four. At the mention of a trial, one of the women had gasped and paled, only her husband's arm holding her up. The threat was clear. It didn't matter that the boys hadn't known. They could all remember the days of the Evil Queen, when it took a far lesser crime to end up imprisoned or worse. Snow White and her King had, so far, shown themselves to be fair and just rulers, but this was the crown princess.

They had been rounded up, those that hadn't followed the noise down the quiet mews when the guardsmen had turned out to find a gang of boys with two girls backed against a wall. It had been a scene from a parent's nightmare, especially when it became clear that not only was one the princess, but the other was clearly the Dark One's only daughter. Rumplestiltskin had settled things quickly and efficiently. Taking in the situation, he had transformed the lot of them into a basket of kittens, and ordered the guardsmen to get their parents and take both to the Palace, before disappearing with both girls, and the cat that had started it all.

After appearing in the Palace, and a short conference with the King and Queen, not to mention his own wife, they had the throne room cleared and the ladies went off to deal with their daughters.

"Kittens, Rumplestiltskin?" Charming asked as Rumplestiltskin joined him on the dais.

The sorcerer shrugged. "Better kittens than something more...squishable," he said. The concerned father was buried beneath the usually slightly manic masque of the Dark One, 'the better to frighten them with, dearie,' as he had told Charming when he asked once. "I actually like kittens." He giggled.

Before they could get any further, one of the side doors burst open and a knight came in, bowing quickly to the king before getting leave and coming up on the dais. "Papa, what have you done?" Bae hissed under his breath.

"They threatened your sister," the man said quietly. Suddenly the young man's eyes went flinty, and with a nod, he moved to join the guardsmen on the floor.

"Proceed," Charming nodded.

"Daniel the baker's son, your majesty," the captain of the guard said as he brought the boy forward, and gestured for him to bow. The young man stepped forward on shaky legs.

"I didn't believe he meant to do anything, Benny that is, not at first," he said before telling his account of the incident. "It was when he started on those girls....he's kind of a bully, " Daniel said quietly, as if he didn't want to be overheard.

"So you believed he would hurt the girls, even though you didn't think he meant to hurt the cat?" the King asked sharply. The two men had adopted a style of questioning that could best be described as good king/bad imp.

"Thought maybe he would, but I didn't want him to start on me," the boy told him, ducking his head a little. "Sometimes he's fine until he gets started or something, and then he just..."

"You're fine, lad," David said. "You did the right thing." He nodded his dismissal, and the boy hurried back to where his parents stood. "I think we had best hear from the rest one at a time," the king decided.

"As you wish," Rumplestiltskin said. He looked into the basket and removed one of the kittens, turning it into a boy again.

The next boy told the same story more or less, though he had been in on the attack as did several more. "I didn't mean to do it, but I didn't want Benny coming after me," a lad named Liam said. "Think he killed Robbie over the smithy's new puppy, least he said he did, after Robbie told on him for stealing apples in the market. But he wouldn't go after Robbie, he's the smith's apprentice and twice as big."

After each boy told his story, he went to his family, to a variety of reactions. Liam's mother the weaver, a canny woman whose husband was dead, boxed him round the ears and exclaimed that she had half a mind to ask the Dark One to turn him back into a cat, that way he'd be useful. As they continued, David's face grew graver, Rumplestiltskin's more manic.

When the next to last kitten was taken from the basket, no one stepped forward. One of the guards asked permission to speak and was waved forward. "That's Tommy, Thomas. His mum's dead since he was a wee one, and his father's in the cells for drink more often than out," the man told them quietly.

The young man they were discussing was tall and pale, with dark hair, and an expression that tried to convey unconcern but only barely hid the shame and terror. He told the story much the same as the others, though he didn't try as hard as some to mitigate his blame. "It was just the moment," the lad said quietly. Unsure what to think, the King waved him back to where the rest were, but Rumplestiltskin was watching him very carefully.

 

Finally there was only one kitten left in the basket, and one family, a set of parents and what might be a younger child hidden behind the mother's skirts. Rumplestiltskin eyed them carefully. He had seen enough bullies to know that they could come from families where the parents were bullies themselves, or ones who didn't give enough attention, and neglected them, but this was something more than the average bully, he knew that. The couple looked average enough. The guardsman had announced them as Thomas and Rebecca, the chandlers. They had a small shop that they lived above, and a booth in the square on market day. Just hardworking tradesmen.

Rumplestiltskin had a thought, and decided he needed to pursue it before he changed the boy back. "Your Majesty," he asked. The King knew enough to know that the sorcerer was more likely to see things he couldn't, so he nodded his permission.

It had always struck the old beast as odd, that despite his fearsome appearance, small children were rarely afraid of him. He moved closer and then dropped to a crouch, reaching out to the little girl peering around her mother. "Come here, little one," he said gently. Her mother was a different story, and clutched the child close to her in fear. Rumplestiltskin resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Madame," he said, dropping his voice lower. "No harm will come to her here."

"What are you thinking?" Charming asked from the throne.

"That if this lad is what I think, he started closer to home," he said, not bothering to modulate his tone. The King nodded to the woman, and she released her daughter, only a little reluctantly. The little girl walked fearlessly toward the sorcerer, a small rag dolly clutched under one arm.

"Come on," he reached and she took the hand he offered. There was a gasp around the room as he led the girl up to the steps to the dais and dropped down next to her. "What's your name, dearie?"

"Sally," she said, shyly, looking at all the people. One of the boys started to make a remark, but it died on his lips as the sorcerer caught his eye, and his father whispered something harsh under his breath.

"That's a pretty name. Sally, do you know why you are here with your parents?"

"Benny did something bad, didn't he," she said very quietly.

"Yes, he did."

"Did he hurt someone else?" she asked very quietly.

"He tried. Do you know about him hurting other people?" The room was completely silent. The little girl whispered something, quietly, so low that it was only Rumplestiltskin's enhanced senses that allowed him to catch it. "You can say it, no one will hurt you here," he said. "Has he done something to you?"

"Burned me, made me say that I fell and spilled the tallow on myself," she said, pulling on her sleeve to show the burns. "Can't tell though, he said if I did, he'd drop me in the river with a stone on my neck and make me drowneded,"

The girl's mother gasped and her father pulled closer. "We didn't know, we didn't..." she said over and over again. The sorcerer thanked the little girl, told her how brave she was and produced a sweetie which she took back behind her mother with a shy smile. He made a mental note to go back and see to those burns later.

"I think it's time we hear from Benny himself," the King said. He didn't like what he had heard, or where this was going. Something needed to be done, and he knew if he didn't, then Rumplestiltskin most certainly would. The father in him was tempted to let him. "Rumplestiltskin, if you would," he said.

"As you wish," the Dark One said with a flourish, but there was cold rage behind the half smile that wasn't the least amused. All the signs of the gentle creature he had been with the child disappeared behind the masque of the imp.

The boy, having lost his furry, four footed appearance, was not particularly imposing, a little taller than the others, a little bigger. He looked as his surroundings, and Rumplestiltskin could see it, just for a moment, the calculation. "What's going on?" he asked, trying to sound scared and confused.

"We've heard from the other boys," the King said solemnly. "Now it's your turn."

Rumplestiltskin let out one of his trilling giggles, a sound that made everyone in the room (except possibly his son) shudder. "Yes, tell us all about your treason," he said, rolling his r's, elongating the last word.

"I didn't know she was the princess," Benny said, just the edge of concern starting to show.

"So it would have been okay if you had threatened to rob and beat up another girl, set her hair alight?" Rumplestiltskin asked.

"No, no. It's... We didn't mean anything by it, just going to scare them a little, that's all. Didn't mean anything by it."

"And the cat?" Charming asked.

"It was just a cat," the boy said, defensively.

"Ah, here we go again, just a cat and almost the princess, not to mention her companion," he growled, his voice dropping low. "How many? This wasn't the first time you hurt something or someone was it? And remember, boy, I will know if you are lying. In fact, your majesty, would you object to a little magic?"

"What did you have in mind?" the king asked. He had learned there were up and down sides to having Rumplestiltskin as a royal advisor.

"Oh, just a little truth spell. It won't hurt...unless he tries to lie that is."

"Please don't let him magic me," the boy said, turning to look at the King with pleading eyes.

He was good, David reflected, and he could see the method to Rumplestiltskin's questioning. It let the boy hang himself without bringing his sister or the others into it. They weren't saints and some were probably more than willing participants, or more willing than they let on, but this was the leader, the instigator. And at that age it was unfortunately easy to be led. "If you tell the truth, you have nothing to fear from a truth spell," Charming told him. "Do it."

The old sorcerer flourished his hands and there was a small *poof* of purple smoke. "Not very dramatic," he said with a grin. "Now, let us begin again."

Benny looked around, obviously giving serious consideration to trying to make a run for it, until a knight some years older than he was stepped up behind him, his dagger near his hand. "I wouldn't think about it if I were you," he said, low enough not to be overheard. "The other girl, she's my baby sister."

 

Afterward, the King took a break to consider. Taking Rumplestiltskin with him, he left the throne room and throw himself in a chair in the antechamber. "What am I supposed to do?" he asked the imp the moment the door closed.

"Well, the lad that went for the guard, Daniel, I think he can go home with his parents. He was smart enough to get out and do the right thing. I suspect this brush with real trouble will make him seriously consider his choices in future," Rumplestiltskin said. Deal with the easy ones first.

"Agreed, he's going to be fine. Most of the rest of them were either afraid of him or..."

"Lads like that always find followers. I think most of their parents have them well in hand..."

"The weaver's son will be lucky if his ears stop ringing for a week," David said with a laugh and was surprised when Rumplestiltskin joined him.

"If it had been me at that age, I'd not have been sitting comfortably for the next month at least," the old sorcerer said.

It was probably the first time that David had ever heard him talk about his childhood. He'd always wondered, but it was best not to pry. "Same, but then you met my mother. Still, it doesn't solve the problem."

"There are the stocks, though I've never been a fan of public humiliation as a punishment. Don't you have a dungeon that needs scrubbing, maybe some stables to clean down to the bare floor?"

"I think that's an excellent idea. I'm sure that the Master of the Guard can find something," David grinned. "And I think a night in the cells, let them get a taste of what real trouble will lead to."

"That will work for most. But there is the question of Thomas. I think he just needs some straightening, he'll come with me, when we return to the Dark Castle."

"What...what will you do with him?" Charming asked cautiously.

"You heard the guards, his father is a drunkard and likely too free with his fists. The lad needs a fresh start where no one knows him or can expect him to be like his father."

"Why would you do that?" the King asked.

"Suffice it to say that I know what it is to want to get away from a father's reputation."

Once again the King found himself wondering about Rumplestiltskin's past. "That just leaves the ring leader, Benny." There it was, the ogre in the room. "He is..."

"There is something profoundly wrong with him, a darkness different from even my own. He takes pleasure in causing pain and that will only grow over time."

"Is he cursed? Is there some magic.."

"I only wish it were that easy. It's no curse. He was born missing something, a part of his soul, I suppose. I know of no magic that can fix him. But he cannot be allowed to return home with his family. "

 

The King returned to the throne room and sat himself down, the imp standing close by. "I have reached a decision," he announced, looking out at them. The boys were almost all cowed, save the one called Tommy, who was trying to look uncaring as he stood by himself, but then he was used to that. Benny, on the other hand was trying to look like the rest and almost succeeding. His mother and father stood by him, but they had a stiff, wary look, and little Sally was as far away as she could be and still cling to her mother's skirt.

"Daniel," Charming called. The boy stepped forward with his parents. "As you did not participate in the actual incident and did the right thing in summoning the guard, you may leave with our thanks. I don't expect to ever hear of you in trouble again. You may go."

"Thank you, your majesty. He'll keep out of trouble for sure," his father said, as they bowed, and the guard let them out as fast as they could go.

 

"As to the rest of you," David said, at his sternest. "All save for Thomas and Benjamin. You will be spending tonight in the cells, as a lesson in what will befall you should you break the peace again. Tomorrow, after you are released, the Master of the Guard will find you more productive way of spending your time that causing trouble."

"Dungeons to scrub, stables to clean, perhaps a privy to dredge," Rumplestilskin giggled. One of the boys, a lad named Jamie, looked like he was going to object at least for a moment. "There is another alternative. I could return you to a cat, or something worse." That was more than enough to have them and their parents bowing and fleeing before the mercurial sorcerer. "And then there were two," he trilled.

"Thomas, no surname, you have no one to stand and vouch for you."

"No sir, your majesty," he said. He was trying to be strong, but there was a flush of shame beneath his pale skin.

"Due to your situation, you will spend the night in the cells as well, and afterward, you will be put into the custody of Rumplestiltskin and his wife." The boy went from shame and apparent unconcern to abject terror.

"Don't worry. I don't eat children...anymore." The boy's legs almost collapsed under him, but to his credit he managed to keep to his feet.

"Yes, your majesty. Thank you," he said, the words forced out faintly. But the sorcerer noticed Bae taking him out of the room and he knew that his son would understand. He might not know the exact plan, but he knew his father well enough to calm the boy.

"Now to Benjamin the chandler's son," David sighed.

"Your Majesty," the young man said, suddenly wary.

"Easy to be brave with others to back you up," Rumplestiltskin said from where he had appeared behind the boy.

"I..." he started but stopped. Rumplestiltskin could see it behind his eyes, the cunning.

"Your son has proved himself dangerous to others. I cannot in good conscience send him home with you," the King said. His mother went pale, but said nothing, instead clutching her daughter closer, trying to hide the relief.

"Your majesty, surely..." his father spoke up, but there was no conviction in his words.

"He has a malady of the soul. Under the advice of Rumplestiltskin, I will be asking the Blue Fairy, to see if there is any cure, but until then..."

"You can't, don't let them lock me up, I didn't do anything," Benny shouted. Seeing his little sister peeking out from behind their mother his rage seemed to increase. "You told! I'll get you, you little..."

"And that is enough of that," Rumplestiltskin said, with a flick of his wrist. The boy became a kitten once more, and was confined to his basket. "At least this way, he's only a danger to the rats."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, there was always the possiblity I was going to leave this as a one shot. That was the plan. But then there were some questions, and some talks with BardicRaven, my sister and beta, and the discussion of what exactly to do with a sociopathic child, something we have no answer to today, in a society with a medieval level of tech. It is not as light as some of the other one shots that I have done in this universe, but it let me deal with some fairly serious subjects. I hope you read, enjoy and most especially comment and tell me what you think. 
> 
> There will be another coda, rather accidentally when it was pointed out that I dealt with the boys but not what Snow and Belle are going to do with their daughters.


	3. Coda the second

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While the King and Rumplestiltskin deal with the boys...otherwise known as... on the other side of the palace....

 

 

The first hint that something was wrong came with Allison, Emma's new governess. Johanna, who had been with Snow's family since her mother had married her father, had finally retired and the young woman had come with a recommendation from Prince Thomas' family. Belle wasn't entirely certain about her, but then she wasn't entirely certain about Thomas' family, so she tried to ignore it.

"They are gone, your Majesty, I can't find them anywhere," the woman said in an agitated voice as she came into the sitting room where Queen Snow, Belle, and Red had been enjoying tea.

"Slow down," the Queen said, calmly. She wasn't necessarily as surprised as she should have been. Emma had been chafing a little, and it wasn't particularly unusual for her to slip away given the chance. Rose was a different matter. The daughter of Belle and Rumplestiltskin was a little less impulsive, not quite as hot headed, at least usually she wasn't. One thing was for certain though, wherever Emma was, Rose was. "Tell me what happened."

"We had lunch. I was giving them some instructions in comportment," she said stiffly. Belle exchanged a look with Snow. They both knew how well Emma took 'comportment'. "Afterward, they asked if they could go to the royal library before the princess had her embroidery lesson. I didn't see anything wrong with it at the time. She mentioned wanting to show the other girl a particular book. So I let them. I should have known..." She cast a distasteful look at Belle.

Snow ignored her, but Belle's eyes narrowed. She was perhaps a little oversensitive to slights where her husband and daughter were concerned. "And?" Snow asked.

"They weren't there. I searched the entire library. The...er...Mr. Cricket was there," she said carefully. "Looking through a book. He said he'd not seen them, nor had the archivist. I don't know where they have gone."

"Did you check the kitchens?" Belle asked. "Maybe they went to get a snack. You know how Mrs. Potts spoils them."

"Yes, they weren't there. The cook said she hadn't seen them at all."

"Did you check the training yard?" Red asked. "You know how Emma loves to watch the knights practice, or out at the archery butts?"

"And Rose likes to see her brother when she can, perhaps..." Belle added.

"No madame," Allison said, as if her professional competence was being called into question. "I also checked the stable, and the paddock..." Before she could continue, a cloak appeared from nowhere in a small puff of lilac smoke, causing the woman to gasp.

"Well," Belle said, trying not to laugh. "We know where Emma's cloak is." She was deciding that she really didn't like the governess, and perhaps next time Emma wanted to spend time with Rose, it best be at the Dark Castle. The woman was a snob and Belle hated snobs. In fact, part of her thought it would be fun to invite the governess to accompany Emma to the Dark Castle, but she hid that thought away as the importance of the cloak hit her. "And the two of them are together," she said. "That was definitely Rose's magic. Perhaps..." Normally she wouldn't have worried. Rose had been having the odd magical 'accident' since she was a babe. However, what if it was deliberate? Rose was good about the rules, including the one that said no magic without her father's supervision, except in an emergency.

Before she could follow this train of thought too far, there was another, larger puff of very familiar smoke, dark purple this time, and Rumplestiltskin appeared with a hand on the shoulder of each of the missing girls. The governess let out a very unladylike yelp, and jumped back, almost overbalancing.

"Where have you been?" Snow asked. She sounded more annoyed than anything else, but only because she hadn't got quite as far with her worries as her friend. "What..."

"I will let them explain," Rumplestiltskin said in a careful tone that anyone who knew him could tell concealed a great deal of anger and something else. "But first, your majesty, I need a moment with both you and the King," he said. That he was that formal while they were in the relative privacy of the sitting room spoke volumes about the seriousness of the situation.

Snow nodded and excused herself with the imp, while Belle looked over the girls. Emma's gown was torn by the hem, and Rose had managed to have a torn sleeve and something wrong with the hood of her cloak. Both of them had dirty hems and they looked as if they were a little frightened and possibly embarrassed. Allison stepped forward, a waspish look on her face. "What have you gotten the princess into, girl?" she demanded sharply.

"Rose didn't..."

"I..."

Before more could be said, the Queen returned, her face full of concern. "Apparently, there was some trouble. David and Rumplestiltskin are handling the...other side of it. Now, the two of you sit, and tell me what happened," she said as she retuned her seat. Emma and Rose settled onto the settee next to Red, with Snow in the chair on one side, while Belle was in the chair on the other.

"Well, it was..."

"I thought..." they both started at the same time.

"One at a time, manners," Allison said, having recovered from the various shocks.

It didn't take long for Emma to lay out the basics of their escape, and their time in the market. Red was hiding her mirth behind her tea cup when the Princess explained that she had to get out. "All that manners stuff, and embroidery..." The girl made a face.

"Necessary skills for a young lady of breeding," Allison said, with a sniff.

"So the two of you snuck out to go to the market without telling anyone?" Belle said sharply. "You know what could have happened to you? Your father..." she said.

"We were super careful," Rose told her. "We kept our hoods up and our heads down and were really quiet. It was when we were coming back that there was trouble. And it wasn't our fault."

"Yes, it was those boys. They were going to kill the cat!" Emma said emphatically.

"And then they threatened us," Rose added, not to be left out. "'cause Emma told them not to hurt it, and they were going to kill it and..."

"What cat?" Red said.

"The cat in the cage, Aunt Red," Rose said. "One of the boys, the one called Benny, he caught it and said he was going to hurt it."

"So these boys were tormenting a cat in a cage, and you told them to stop?" Belle clarified.

"They were trying to poke its eye out with a stick, so we told them to stop. That's when Benny, he said he was going to take our cloaks and stuff, then he was going to light the cat on fire and make us watch," Emma added.

"Yeah, and then he said that he was going to light Emma's hair on fire." Snow and Belle both went pale, while Red looked like she wanted to go out in her other form and have a very one sided conversation with the boys. She hadn't settled down yet, but the girls were as close as nieces to her.

"And that is when you tried to...what exactly, teleport back? Is that what happened?" Belle asked.

"No, that was after," Rose said. "I know I'm not supposed to, but they came at us like they were going to hurt us. Emma hit a few with her sling stones, only she didn't have her sling, and I rapped one on the knuckles with a stick after he grabbed me. They said...they said some bad things about me," Rose said and her eyes, already big, got bigger. Clearly now that the adventure was over, she was scared, and Belle patted her daughter's hand.

"Yeah, and I ran out of stones, so Rose tried to magic us away, only it didn't work right," Emma still seemed caught up in the adventure. "But by then we were cornered, so Rose called for Rumplestiltskin. You should have seen it. She called out for her papa, and one of the boys, he says, all arrogant like, 'oh, calling for your daddy,' and then he was behind them, see, and he says, with that voice, you know when he is really mad but doesn't want anyone to know? He says 'Maybe you should find out who her father is first?' Then they jumped and one of them, he ran away earlier, or I thought he did, he came back with the guards. Then Rumplestiltskin, he turned them all into kittens and told the guards to bring them and their parents to the palace. Oh, and the cat. Can we keep her?" Emma said all the last in one breath, leaving the woman still trying to sort the whole thing out.

"Keep who?" Snow said, slowly piecing together what her daughter meant from the long verbal torrent.

"The cat, Mama, who else would I mean?" she asked her mother.

"You are in no place to be asking for favours, young lady," Allison said, sternly. "Look at what you have done, sneaking out, getting into a fight, and for what, some mangy animal?" she sneered. "Your Majesty, might I suggest that she be confined to her rooms except for lessons for the next two weeks, and no dessert. You should be ashamed of yourself. Letting this..." She looked at Rose but whatever she was going to say died at the look on Belle's face.

"Allison, leave us, please," Snow said tightly. She was torn. On the one hand, there was fear, the danger her daughter had been in, and what could have happened. On the other, her daughter had stood up for what was right, and that was a virtue they wanted to encourage. It was also something that clearly was not being nurtured by the governess. Snow hadn't missed the subtle and not so subtle hints that Rose was to blame. Belle and Rumplestiltskin had been two of their biggest supporters and assets in the war against Regina and King George. She had never been exactly certain what it was that had changed his position from neutral, but it had turned the tide. Belle had been a good friend, and Rose was one of Emma's few close friends, and she wasn't going to jeopardize that friendship over snobbery. But that was something she needed to deal with later. For now. there was the matter of her daughter's actions.

"Emma," she started, to say when there was a knock on the door. "Enter," Snow said, frustrated.

"Your majesty, I was told to bring this to you," the young guardsman said as he entered and bowed low, holding out a manky basket. The basket meowed.

"Thank you, put it down," she said. She wondered if Belle happened to have any of that headache potion with her. The guard set the basket down, and withdrew quickly. The palace was in an uproar, he was smart enough to know he did not to want to be part of it.

"That's the cat, Mama," Rose said, quietly. "Papa told them to bring it. Can we see if it's okay?"

"In a moment, right now, we need to talk about what you did."

"Yes, Emma, you know that you shouldn't sneak out of the palace like that. If Rose hadn't been with you, and hadn't been able to call her father, you could have been hurt."

"I would never let her go by herself," Rose said.

"But Mama, we helped. You always say it's our duty to make sure that everyone is safe in the kingdom, that means the kitty cats too, doesn't it?" Emma said, her green eyes wide.

"Yes, yes, it does. So, for sneaking out...no riding your horse for one week, and no dessert. And, since you and Rose rescued the cat, I think..."

"Snow, may I make a suggestion?" Belle asked.

"Certainly, especially since Rose was involved," the Queen replied.

"I think that after we have finished, the two of you will take the cat back to Emma's rooms and see that it gets bathed, and checked for fleas. And no magic," Belle said, looking at her daughter. "Also, you will have no magic lessons for a week, and no dessert. Now, why don't the two of you go to Allison and get her to help you with your chore and then get cleaned up for dinner."

The girls kissed their mothers and grabbed the basket before running off. It was only after the door closed that Red broke into a hearty laugh.

"What's so funny?" Snow asked, though she was giggling herself. "Though I am proud of them for standing up for themselves. And I think I might have paid money to see the look on those boys' faces when Rumplestiltskin appeared behind them." Belle had joined them. She wasn't sure if it was pride or relief, but still, considering what could have happened, this was minor. Though she hoped they had learned their lesson.  
"No, it's not that," Red said. "It's that you just sent them off to ask that snob to help them wash a cat." The entire idea sent them off into a new round of laughter.

"It is probably mean and petty," Snow said. "I am afraid I am going to have to do something about her though. She is just not right for this family. But I don't want to just get rid of her..."

"I think I might have an idea about that," Belle told her with a very special smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, much more fluffy than the other part, dealing with the fall out, and how to encourage some things and not others. Thank you for the lovely comments, and all the things, please continue. 
> 
> Oh, and thanks to the lovely EmilieBrown for the banner for this verse.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you, for those of you reading these. I will admit that writing anything was a challenge yesterday, but it did give me something to focus on. Thanks to BardicRaven, both for the prompt and for the beta, and to all of you who are reading and enjoying these fics.


End file.
